Wearing apparel with adjustable seams



June 26, 1962 P. LAMPKOWITZ WEARING APPAREL WITH ADJUSTAELE SEAMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 23, 1958 IN V EN TOR. PAu [/IMP/(OWTZ ATTORNV P. LAMPKOWITZ 3,040,331

WEARING APPAREL WITH ADJUSTABLE SEAMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 26, 1962 Filed June 23, 1958 AT 7' ORNE Y Unite i tes The present invention relates to wearing apparel containing adjustable seams permitting selective adjustment to the size and. shapeof the wearer, as hereinafter described and claimed. The present application is a continuat'ion-in-part of copending application Serial Number 653,709, filed April 18, 1957, now abandoned.

The use of adjustable waistbands -for skirts and trousers, especially in the maternity garments, is old. These garments have been made with horizontally-disposed means for adjusting the waist circumferentially, such as by the use of a drawstring or with horizontal zippers or a series of buttons. It has been proposed in U.S. Patent No. 2,638,597 that a maternity garment can be made with a drawstring for adjustment of the waistline and with a tuck extending horizontally across the garment from side seam to side seam to accommodate the enlarged abdomen. The instant invention relating to adjustable seams in wearing apparel is an entirely new feature heretofore unknown in the art. This invention is applicable to all kinds of garments designed for males and females, and is particularly applicable to the manufacture of skirts,

trousers, jackets and the like. i The manufacture of such garments in a series of sizes is obviated by this invention which permits utilization in manufactnre of a single size for said garment and which is capable of adjustment to the size and shape of the wearer by the incorporation of adjustable seams therein. of such a garment either gains or loses weight sufliciently so that the garment is no longer suitable or desirable for use, he can simply alter the garment himself to suit his new dimensions by appropriate adjustment'of the adjustable seams., It is apparent that by incorporation of the novel adjustable seams in the garment, both the manufacture and the alteration of garments are greatly simplified. An inexperienced person can alter the garment to desired size without going to a tailor, or the tailor is in a position. to fit the garment to the wearer quickly and inexpensively; Still another advantage of the incorporation of adjustable seams in a garment resides in the comfort afforded wearer, whereby said seam is capable of opening up when bending, sitting or during other similar ;rent

In the event that the wearer activities to give wearer the additional room needed at such times; said seam being capable of sp-ringing back into its original place upon cessation of said motions.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved garment havingadjustable seams inco'rporated therein. v

Another object of this invention is the manufacture of a garment in a single size capable of embracing several sizes by virtue of the adjustable seams. V Still another object is to simplify tailoring of a garment. Broadly, the invention .comprises a garment having one or more adjustable seams, said adjustable seam being formed by,a vertical tuck held in place by a fastening means, as herein described. More specifically, the inventioncornprises a garmenthaving one or more 'adjustable seams, said adjustable seam comprising -in combination a vertically extending tuck of pre-determined depth and means for fastening and maintaining at least a portion of said tuck in position on said garment and being releasable therefrom, said vertical tuck being horizontally adjustable upon release or adjustment of said fastening means to permit ai corresponding horizontal 'expansion or ontraction of said garment suificiently to' conform to the desired change in size of said garment. A variety 3,4%331 Paftented J une 26, V l 962 IC-e v of fastening means may be used inclusive of a few stitches, metal or plastic hooks and eyes disposed on the underside of the cloth, metal or plastic holders and fasteners likewise disposed on the underside of the cloth, and metal or'plastic clips, 'as hereinafter illustrated. 'If desired, either a single means or any combination thereof may be utilized simultaneously. y

Other objects of this invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which: i

FIG. 1 is a rear elevation of 'a skirt embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective View of an adjustable seam embodying the vertical tuck and a particular fastening means, utilized in FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a front 'elevation of embodying the instant invention'.

FEG. 4 is a f'agmentary perspective view of another type of adjustable seam embodying the vertical tuck and a particular fastening means, utilized, in 'the skirt of FIG. 3. V

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of a pair of trousers embodying the adjustable seams. I

FIG; 6 is an enlarged View of a section of FIG. 5 comprising a fly front with the overlap, bent back.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view on line 9-9 of FIG. 5.

another kind of skirt ;PIG 8 is a front elevationlview of a jacket incorporatr ing the adjustable seams of the present invention.

' FIG. 9 is a rear elevation View of a jacket in accordance with the instant invention.

Refern'ng to the drawings, FIG. 1 defines a skirt 1, having an enclosed waistline 2, which is adjusted to the size of the wearer by means of adjustable seams 3, said skirt alsoembodying darts 4 in order togive the skirt the desired fullness at the hips and the cinched eifect at the waistline.

eyes are present therein in order to fit a variety of sizes.

The hook and eyes may be attached to the garment in any suitable manner such as by being sewed, stapled or by the application of pressure, etc. i I

Another modification .of an adjustable seam is illustrated by skirt 8 in FIG. 3 wherein the adjustable seam 9 is in the form of double inwardly facing tucks 10 and 11, giving an outward appearance o f.a box, pleat 1 2. The pleats may have disposed thereon either 'a plan seam or a piping type of seam 13. i V I Adjustable seams 9 may be held in place by means of a few stitches 14 which are clearly visible in FIG. 3. However, blindor invisiblestitching may also beutilized in lieu of' stitches 14. In addition to the stitching, another type of fastening means is illustrated in FIG. 4whch comprises holders 15 containing several' elongatedslits 16, and fasteners 17 protruding through sli ts 18 Situated' on the skirt per se, said fasteners 17 being adapted to enga ge slits 16, saidastener being completely hidden by tuck '10 or 11. The holders 15, fasteners 17 and clips 19 may be made'of any suitable material such las metal, plast'c, etc. and structures 15 and 17 are attached as previously indicated; Clips such as 19 tohold the tuck in place.

aeaaes u of any kind. Furthermore, the use of zippers, snaps, hooks or buttons on one or both sides of the skrt is obviated, thereby overcoming the disadvantages connected there- With. A more neat and attractive appearance is attained Without the use of the side fasteners such as zippers and the like. The use of expensive tailoring is obviated when the wearer either gains an inch or loses an inch at the waistline. There are no broken zippers or buttons to inconvenience the wearer. The length of the skirt can also substantial distance below the waistline, said fly opening extending all the way down to the crotoh seam 23, said fly opening 22 being concealed by an adjustable overlapping vertical flap 24 extending from the waistline to the crotch. Thus, the need for a zipper or other fastening means at the fly opening 22 is made unnecessary. However, in the event a fastening means is desired, one can simply affix a snap 25 on the inside of flap 24 as shown in FIG. 6.

The adjustable seams herein defined need not extend the full length of the garment as shown by adjustable seams 26 (FIG. which terminate at point 27. More specifically, the tuck 28 formed by adjustable seam 2:6 extends only to point 27 thereby insuring the wearer of adjustability at the waistline and the hip line Where adjustment is usually necessary. The trouser leg '29 per se usually does not need alterations during the life of a garment, thereby obvating the necessi ty of extending the adjustable seam the full length of the garment. Clips 30 may be used to hold seam 2-6 in place. In addition or in lieu thereof, either the fastening means shown in FIG. 4 comprising holders and fasteners, or in FIG. 2 comprising embodying adjustable seams such as jackets, as illustrated by FIGURES 8 and 9. Jacket 38 has its adjustable seams at point 39 where the sleeve 49 joins the shoulder of the jacket. The inside vertical tuck 41 extends' from the shoulder 42 to the bottom 43 of the jacket or to a point 44 anywhere below the waistline of said jacket. Tuck 41 is held in place by a few stitches along the outside seams 45 of said tuck. Although seam 45 is in the form of a piping, blind stitching can also be utilized depending upon the design desired in the garment. Piped seams 45 are merely decorative and may be completely omitted if desirable. The adjustable seams embodying an inside tuck or pleat need not be made on both the back and front of the jacket, but can also be limited to either the back or the front. dependent on the function of said seam. More specifically, if it is desired to mask or otherwise take care of deformities in the wearer, said seam would naturally be placed where said deformity exists; for instance, a rounded back Would require the seam to` be located down the center of the back of the jacket. However, if it is desired to take care of an increase in chest measurements,

hooks and eyes can be sewed to the underside of the garment.

In addition to the adjustable seams, darts 31 are utilized to shape the trousers and to efect a smooth, snug fit at the waistline. Pockets `32 are built into the garment at the side seams of the trousers, said side seams being in the form of a piping 33. Creases 34 may be made permanent by stitching.- Cufis 35 'can be adjusted to the height of the wearer by means of an adjustable seam held in place with a few stitches. This 'adjustable seam is formed by foldng the cloth at point 36 which represents the desired width of the cuff, whereby an inside horizontal tuck 37 is'formed extending the width of the trouser leg between the side seams; and tacking said :tuck in a few strategie places. I V

The advantages of trousers made with adjustable seams are the same vas discussed in connection with the skirts, with the additional advantages resulting from a completely encl osed fly that does notextend to the waistline of the garment. The fly need not be opened either for dressing or undressing, thereby avoiding any embarrassment resulting from failure to close the fly. The extension of the fly opening down to the crotch seam afiords the wearer additional roominess heretofo'e unknown in the art. iFurthermore, the necessity of using clo sure means at the fly such as zippers and the like is .avoided, thereby obviating the expense and trouble of any repair of such closure means. In relation to the adjustable 'seam at the cufi, the time involved in tailoring trousers is considerably decreased whereby the consumer can obtain more prompt service at reduced rates. Furthermore, the consumer himself can adjust the cufl to suit himself without the assistance of a tailor due to the Simplicity of said operation.

r Garments other thantskirt and trousers can be made a more likely place would be at the side seam of the jacket as shown in FIGURES 8 and 9. A straight jacket adjustable by means of an horizontal tuck extending between the side seams, said tuck being Situated either at the bottom, or the waistline of said jacket, or at any other suitable place of the jacket.

The sleeves of the jacket can also be made With adjustable seams as shown by the stitching 47 which holds inside tuck 48 in place. The depth of tuck 48 can be increased, thereby decreasing the width of sleeve 40 and held in place by means of a snap or a few tacks.

Any cufs on jacket sleeves or the bottom of the sleeve per se can be adjusted to the length of the wearer's arm in the same way as the trouser Gulf. Cufi 49 is adjusted to the length of the arm by regulating the depth of the horizontal tuck 50 which may be merely deep enough to-form a pping, as shown, or deeper even up to the outer edge 51 of the cufi. r

Thus, it is apparent that this invention provides for the utilization of adjustable seams in all types of wearing apparel to tender the tailoring thereof simple, fast and inexpensive. The presence of adjustable seams in garments has the further advantage of providing a neat, snug fit at the waistline and shoulders as well as expediting the making of a cuff. Still another advantage' of garments embodying such adjustable seams is its versatility in masking a variety of human deformities without necessitating costly alterations. Another advantage of the instant invention is represented by the ease and Simplicitywith which garments having the adjustable seams can be man- .ufactured, since the adjustable seam per se can be inexpensively and simply made in all garments. The adjustable seam comprises one or more vertical tucks or pleats of any depth and length, held in place with a fastening means and located anywhere on the garment. Whereas, skirts, trousers and jackets have only been shown in the drawings, it is intended that other types of wearing apparel inclusive of blouses, pajamas, shorts, d resses and the like can also be made embracing the adjustable seams of the present invention.

While the invention has been described with reference to various embodiments thereof as hereinbefore set forth, it is to be clearly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but includesvarious modifications and equivalents 'withinthe scope of the instant invention.

What is claimed is: v r

'A garment comprising avertical inwardly-extending tuck on the outside of said garment and being an inner fold and an outer fold and extending from the top of said garment to substantially thebottom thereof, said Likewise, the location of the adjustable seam is outer fold having vertical stitching along its outer edge to form a permanent narrow fold :at said outer edge, said tuck being Secured at the top thereof by releasable fastening means which is situated and concealed within the folds of said tuck and adapted to secure said inner and outer folds together at the top, said tuck being substantially open throughout its length and adapted to permit lateral expansion thereof to accommodate said garment to the wearer, said. tuck having a second releasable fas- -tening means composed of stitchng located at a point remote from said first fastenng means and intermediate the length of the garment and adapted to maintain said open tuck in position throughout its length, 'said vertical tuck being horizontally adjustable upon horizontal adjustment of at least one of said releasable fastening means so as to vary the depth of said tuck and permit a corficiently to conform to the shape of the wearer Without alterng the original style of said garment.

References Cited in the fiie of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,245,649 Wickes Nov. 6, 1917 2,187,447 Chait et al. Jan. 19, 1940 2,254,929 Bertolami Sept. 2, 1941 2,299,982 Hari-ison Oct. 27, 1942 2,457,462 Gray Dec. 28, 1948 2,474,629 Isaacs June 28, 1949 2,476,665 Jones July 19, 1949 2,661,475 A'uslender Dec. 8, 1953 2,755,481 Cantl July 24, 1956 

